Oil-well heater



Dec. 18 1923.

v L R. C. BECK oIL WELL HEATER Film1 Feb 28 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. C. BECK OIL WELL HEATER Filed Feb. 28. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 18 1923.

` R. c. BECK OIL WELL HEATER Filed Feb. 28, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

, UNITED YSTATES PATENT OFFICE. l

l ROBERT ('1.v BECK, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 THE (HITLER-BAKKER i l IFG. CO., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION F WISCONSIN.

OIL-WELL HEATER.

Application illed February 28, 1921. Serial No. 448,478.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT C. BECK, ak citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oil-Well Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an oil well heater.

The ,oil well heater to which this inven- 0 tion is particularly applicable comprises, in

general, a plurality of electric heaters enclosed in protective casings rigidly fastened to heads Within which connections may be made between the heaters and to a source of 5 current supply.

Such a heater is .particularly suitable for insertion in an oil well so as to heat the bottom thereof to increase the flow of oil therefrom.

Among the objects of the invention is to rovide an efficient and ldurable oil well eater which may be readily and economically manufactured.

Another object is* to provide an electric l5 heating appliance composed of a number of electric heaters connected in groups and arranged so that any group of heaters or any heater of a particular group may readily be removed and replaced without interfering 0 with the other groups or the other heaters of a particular group.

Another object is to provide a heater which when lowered into an oil well will not be adversely affected by oils or salt water.

5 Another object is to rovide an oil well heater mechanically enc osed and protected from the elements of the earth.

Another object is to provide a protective casin for an oil well heater' which will not c be a ected by temperature changes.

Another object is to provide an oil well heater of great heatin capacity.

Other objects and a vantages will hereinafter appear.

5 The views of the drawin are:

Fig, 1 Shows an oil well seater, partly in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, of the upper terminal housing.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section of the lower terminal housing.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section throughvone of the casings showing two electric heaters joined end to end.

- Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the heater showing the casings held in spaced relation by a retaining ring.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top plan of a heater.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on line 88 of F1g. 2.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on line 9--9 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a perspective of the cable clamps shown in Fig. 2.

The oil well heater comprises a plurality of electric heaters 1 having tubular 4'ackets enclosed within tubes or casings 2, whlch terminate in and are fastened to upper and lower terminal housings 3 and 4.

Each electric heater comprises in general an elongated tubular jacket 5, plug terminals'6, one inserted in each end of the jacket 5 and rigidly fastened thereto, a helical ductile resistor 7 arranged within the jacket and connected to the plug terminals, and insulation 8 compacted within the jacket and around the resistor..

The casings 2 surrounding the heaters are fastened tothe terminal housings 3 and 4 by welding or other suitable means.

The terminal housings 3 and 4 each have a base SlY within which is seated an insulating block or disc 11. The terminals ofthe electric heaters extend through the housing bases 9 and are fastened to the insulating discs by nuts 12. The electric heaters terminating in the housing may be connected in series or in any other desired manner by suitable straps or connectors 13. V

The upper terminal Ahousing 3 isfprovided with a capl 10.

Between the cap metal disc provided with an annular oove on each side to receive a round gaslt 17, to revent ingress ofmoisture to the terminal chambers.

10 and the ybased) is a llhe cap and hase are fastened together 'hy machine screws 16.

' lln the disc 25 there is welded or lorazed a plurality of insulated sleeves or tubes 26.. llnside each tuhe is compressible watertight insulation 27, such as gutta percha or the lilre, and the insulation and tube are swaged tight to a stud 29 which is threaded at looth ends to receive nuts 32.

A washer 23 of insulating material prevents the nuts 32 from being screwed down against the tube 26 and grounding the same.

lile'aihle conductors 33 connect the insulated studs 29 to heater terminals.

inside the cap 10, and screwed or clamped to the top thereof, are vtwo blocks 30 of inf sulating material having threaded holes extending therethrough. When these blocks are screwed together and to the top of the cap 10, the threads in the holes grip the insulation on the cable conductors 3d and relieve the strain from the terminals, should tension be applied to the conductors 3d eX- terior of the housing.

The calole conductors 3d extend through the insulating lolochs 30 and are connected to the studs 29. f

lin the top of the cap 10 are two water tight metal glands or bushings 19 which are tapered on the inside and when screwed into position compress insulating packing 31 to form a water tight joint.

A calole ring 18 is fastened to the top of the cap 10 for supporting the oil well heater and enaloling it to be lowered into and withdrawn from an oil well.

illhe lower terminal housing t is provided with a cone-shaped nose 15, so that it will readily penetrate the heavy oil and sand in the hottom of the oil well.

I'llhe hase 9 and nose 15 of the terminal housing 4l are fastened together hy means of machine screws 16, and are provided with a seal or gasket 17 therebetween to prevent ingress of moisture to the terminal chamher.

An oil well heater of any desired length may he provided by joining a plurality Vof electric heaters end to end, as shown in llig. 4l. The electric heaters 1 may he joined end to end hy a metallic conducting sleevel 20 screwed or otherwise fastened to the plug terminals tl. The sleeve connector 20 may be surrounded hy a tube or tubes of mica 21 or other suitahle insulating material.

'.lhe electric heaters may be of the form disclosed in Patent 1,359,1t00, dated Novemloer 1o, 1920.

The plug terminals t may loe of the form disclosed in co-pending application, Serial No. 437,792, tiled January i7, 1921.'

The connector 'for connecting the tubular heaters end to end may also be ofthe form disclosed in the aforesaid cca-pending appliof:attenc Larnaca l'lfhe casings 2 may hel provided with retaining rings 24 intermediate the terminal housings, to mechanically strengthen the heater and hold the casings in definite spaced relation.

'llhe oil well heater is so constructed and assembled that any group of electric heaters or the heaters within any casing may be readily removed and another group of heaters inserted therein without interfering with the heaters enclosed within the other casings. Furthermore, the electric heaters within each casing are so connected to one another that any heater of a particular group may be readily removed, another. tubular heater inserted in its place and the entire group replaced within the casingy without interfering with the other heaters of the particular group. ln pumping oil and petroleum from oil wells it is comparatively simple to pump the thin or lighter oils which flow freely and seep through the strata and pores of the earth easily. With the thick or heavier oils, however, there is a tendency for the oil to seal o-r clog the pores in the earth or oil sands and it is imperative that some simple and eilicacious means he .provided to open the clogged pores in order that the oil may be pumped to the surface. A heater of the type herein described may be lowered to the bottom and into the sands of an oil well to heat the oil and open the clogged pores whereby the oil may be readily drawn from the strata or oil sands.

Vlhile hut one embodiment has been shown and described various other emloodiments and adaptations may he made ot the invention contained herein. f

'lhe invention claimed is:

1. An oil well heater comprising a plurality of electric heaters arranged in groups, protective easings therefor, and means wherehy any group of heaters may he reremoved .without interfering with the other groups of heaters.

l 2. An oil well heater comprising a plurality of electric heaters arranged in groups, a protective casing for each group of. heaters, and means whereby any group of heaters may be removed from its respective casing without interfering with the other groups of heaters.

3. An oil well heater" comprising a plurality of electric heaters arranged in groups, protective casings therefor, and means whereby any group of heaters maybe removed and a particular heater of the removed group replaced without interfering with the other heaters.

4t. .dn electric heater for an oil well having a plurality of groups ot heaters electrically connected and mechanically separated and held in spaced lrelation to one another.

5. In combination, a plurality of elongated casings rigidly fastened together by terminal housings, electric heaters having tubular jackets Within the casings, and means to electrically connect the heaters Within one casing to the heaters within another cas- 1n A heater for an oil well having an elongated casing, a housing rigidly fastened to each end of the elongated casing, an electric heater within the casing, and an insulating disc in each housing for attaching the electric heater thereto. v

7. An oil Well heater having a plurality of casings separated from one another and held in definite fixed relation by terminal housings, electric heaters within each casing joinedend to end, and means Within each terminal housing to join the heaters electrically.

8. An electric heater for an oil Well comprising a plurality of elongated casings fastened to terminal housings, electric heaters with the casings spaced from the Walls thereof, and means within each terminal housing for supporting the electric heaters.

9. An electric heater for oil wells compris'ing an elongated casing, housin s attached to each end thereof, an insu ating block Within each housing, electric heaters Within the elongated casing attached to the insulating block, and heater connecting leads extending through one of the housings to connect the electric heaters.

10. In combination an electric heater comprising a plurality of protective casings substantially parallel to one another and rigidly held at the ends thereof, meansl intermediate the ends to hold them in definite spaced relation to one another, and electric heaters enclosed within the casings, the heaters of the several casings being connected electrically.

l1. An oil Well heater comprising a plurality of tubular casings, electric heaters Within each casing, the heaters of the several casings being joined electrically, and terminal housings rigidly fastened to the ends of the casings, one of said housings being provided with a cone-shaped nose.

12. An oil Well heater comprising a plurality of tubular casings, electric heaters Within each casing, the heaters of the several casings being joined electrically, and terminal housings rigidly fastened to the ends of the casin one of said housings being provided Wit a cable attaching means.

13. In combination a plurality of heater protective casings rigidly fastened to a terminal housing having a base and cap therefor, an insulatingmember mounted in the housing base, electric heaters fastened to the insulating member, and means to sealthe housin against ingress of moisture.

14. n combination a plurality of elongated protective `casings rigidly fastened to -a terminal housing, an insulating disc seated in the terminal housing, and electric heaters fastened to the insulating disc and insulated from the terminal housing.

In iwitness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed iny name.

ROBERT C. BECK. 

